Winter Blues Warm Up

This is one of those cards that will fit in many of my favorite challenges.  I used my Cricut Imagine for the cup of cocoa and sentiment from my new Winter Frolic Cartridge, my copics for the girl with the cocoa which is from Spesch Designer Stamps, used my Cuttlebug to cut Spellbinder and Cheery Lynn die cuts. 

I even got my own designer paper in the leaves of the flowers.  It's hard to find a blue-blue green that will work with blue theme, but I think all the blue in this card makes this blue green look real green by comparison.  I used the back side of some repurposed cardstock to print this new colored paper.

This card was great fun to put together, I hope you enjoy.

Challenges I hope to enter:

Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge #9 Winter Blues
Fabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #92- Cocoa
4 Crafty Chicks-Crazy Egg Challenge #70-Something New
2 Sisters Challenge 72-Winter colors    
Creative Card Crew #1 Snow Day
Fashionable Stamping Challenges #12 Anything Goes     
Paper Playtime Challenge #64 Use Something Recycled
Cooking with Cricut Challenge #67 Something New
Party Time Tuesday Challenge #  49 Something New
Tip Top Tuesday Challenge-67-Anything Goes

Happy New Year

This was the challenge that I have worked the hardest at.  Not because I want to win so much as I thought I would save myself some time, and color some of this in Photoshop.  LOLOLOLOL.  Well no time savings, but a great learning experience.  Here are the lessons.

1. Make sure all the lines connect in the area you want to use the paint bucket on, or it will run into areas you don't want colored.  Draw lines if necessary.
2. Make the areas as big as necessary to fit the paint bucket.  I magnified to 1000% sometimes.
3. Copic Express it paper does not do well in a laser printer.  Thus the grunge effect of Kenny K's Lady Victoria.  Not a bad effect, just unintended.
4. I need new lighting techniques for my photos.  I have a fairly new Canon Digital Rebel, so I know it isn't my camera, so it has to be the lighting.  That is my New Years Present to myself.

There may be more lessons coming, stay tuned.

The two pictures are to show how the card looks in different light, and to show how really sparkly the card is.  As my followers know, "I love sparkle", and it annoys me when it doesn't show up well.

The top photo is more true to color, but the color of her bra and tutu was drowned out by the shiny stuff.  LOVE IT.

Recipe:

• The card center piece is Kenny K's Lady Victoria Digi Stamp
• Cheery Linn Medium Rose & Medallion under the roses, Spellbinders gears and tag and Tim Holtz Rosette Dies.
• Creative Memories & Stampin Up Paper
• Photoshop & Copics to color
• Sakura Stardust pens & Lindy Stamp Gang Mica Powder provide the shiny stuff
• Hobby Lobby Bridal provides the pearl floral spray.
• I-rock Purple Nailheads

Challenges I have entered:

Kenny K's Crafty Girlz-#74 Anything Goes
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 8 - Celebrate
One Stop Craft Challenge-#163 Winter Wishes
Secret Crafter's Saturday Challenge-166 Anything goes
Totally Gorjuss: Challenge 112 Happy
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 135 New Year
Charisma Cardz Week 50 Challenge-Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday #197 Happy New Year
Incy Wincy Designs Challenge #127-Anything Goes

Christmas Thank You

This turned out a whole lot better than I expected it to.  I used the Basic Grey Figgy Pudding papers to stay with the Christmas theme for one of the challenges that I will enter this in, but it kind of doesn't look too much like Christmas.  Probably because I used flowers and butterflies.  The stamps are Outlines Rubber Stamps, the butterflies are Cheery Lynn die cuts glued onto Figgy Pudding paper and cut around the die cut.  I popped up one of the butterflies on a pop-up device of my own making and used pop dots for the other butterfly and flower.  The doily is also from Cheery Lynn.  I did use a Spellbinder die cut behind the Thank You. 

All the shiny is from Lindy Stamp Gang.  I actually used the mica powder to get that center flower to shine like that, and used Starburst Sprays for the butterflies, flowers and leaves.

I hope you enjoy this.  I had great fun creating it.

 Challenges I hope to enter:

Outlines Rubberstamps Challenge 32, Holiday Thank You
Dutch Dare Card Challenge-Favorite Things.
Simon Says Stamp Challenge 12-28-12-Anything Goes

Zorana the Dancing Gypsy

I just fell in love with this stamp from Saturated Canary Digi's. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with her. I found this paper at The Paper Shelter, and decided that if fit with my thoughts for the girl. I just got some new shinys from Lindy Stamp Gang, and love that stuff. No end of things I'm likely to do with that. I also FINALLY got my Cheery Lynn big die to work, and used the inside of the die for the sentiment star. I hope you like it.

I also tend to take my pictures with varied lighting.  I usually like the cooler colors that I get without a flash or flood light.  I also take some with a regular incandesent bulb, as this will impart a warmer yellow tone to a photo, or any object that you photograph that way.  I usually don't waste to many clicks and time on the incandecent, but in this case, it looked funny in the cool light.  Must just be because she's a hot chick.

Challenges I hope to join:

Stampavie and more Challenge #159 Hearts

Hugz